Rivals in District 68 runoff trumpet key endorsements

AUSTIN — When it comes to key political endorsements, the battle lines have been drawn in the Republican primary runoff in Texas House District 68.

Drew Springer, who is running against Trent McKnight in the July 31 election, has been endorsed by two rivals eliminated in the May 29 primary. McKnight, on the other hand, had the backing of retiring Rep. Rick Hardcastle, R-Vernon, even before the first round.

“I am glad they are supporting me,” Springer said regarding the backing of David Isbell and Paul Braswell, who finished third and fourth on May 29.

“This is another indication that I am the most qualified to represent the district,” said Springer, who is from Cooke County, the easternmost county in the drastically redrawn rural district, which includes four counties in the Texas Panhandle and eight in the South Plains.

Although Springer said he has the business experience McKnight lacks and is the true conservative, in the May 29 election McKnight nearly avoided the runoff, getting 49 percent of the vote while Springer finished a distant second with 34.5 percent.

Isbell, also of Cooke County, said he decided to endorse Springer after meeting separately with both top vote-getters.

“I was able to ask a lot of detailed and hard questions,” Isbell said. “I was leaning for Trent before the one-on-one meeting but after meeting with both, I decided Drew is the most qualified of the two to represent the district.”

But that’s not how McKnight sees it.

Springer, Isbell and Braswell feel that someone from the area where they live should represent the district, said McKnight, who is from Throckmorton County. Braswell is from Montague County, which is next to Cooke County.

“They feel that clearly, this is their time,” McKnight said, alluding to the fact that Hardcastle, who has represented the 22-county district for 14 years, is from Wilbarger County.

Wilbarger County is close to the Texas Panhandle while Cooke and Montague are closer to Denton and to Fort Worth. Throckmorton County is closer to the South Plains than to Cooke and Montague counties.

In all, because of last year’s redistricting, the district covers more than 300 miles from east to west, from Cooke to Wheeler County, and almost the same distance from north to south, from Wheeler to Fisher County in the South Plains.

McKnight, who dismisses Springer’s claim of being more business experienced and more conservative, also takes comfort on the fact that Hardcastle endorsed him even before the May 29 primary.

“It’s a more important endorsement because he has represented the district for a long time and he is highly respected,” McKnight said of Hardcastle, who decided not to seek re-election.

The winner of the runoff between McKnight and Springer will face Democrat Lanhon Odom of Montague County, in the Nov. 6 general election. Odom ran unopposed in his party’s primary.